Swim trunks



y 6 A. M. COHEN ET AL 2,983,924

SWIM TRUNKS Filed July 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3, 2 TTTW' q n m In I INVENTORS ALBERT M. COHEN ARTHUR I. LIGHTENSTEIN ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 AM. COHEN ETAL SWIM TRUNKS Filed July 9, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvro M. OOHE ATTORNEY United States Patent i SWllVI TRUNKS Albert M. Cohen, Rittenhouse Plaza Apts., 1901 Walnut St., and Arthur I. Lichtenstein, Warwick Hotel, 17th and Locust Sts., both of Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed July 9, 1959, Ser- No. 825,984

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-67) This invention relates to swim trunks of novel design and construction.

Heretofore, swim trunks were made either in individual waist sizes or in narrow ranges of waist sizes designated small, medium, large and extra large.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a swim trunk of such construction that it will readily accommodate all sizes from small through large while remaining an attractive semi-form fit throughout all variations in size without changing its general appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a one size swim trunk of such construction and design that the leg openings assume proper dimensions without undue exposure at all sizes from small through large.

Another object of the invention is to provide a one size swim trunk having a flexible waistband and side panels of such expansibility and recovery as to permit the garment to expand and readily clear the hips yet allow the same to relax and assume a semi-form fit at all sizes from small through large.

Another object of the invention is to provide a one size swim trunk of the character described in combination with a support panty which is also flexible at predetermined areas whereby the swim trunk can be worn properly without the need for a separate athletic support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reversible one size swim trunk of practical and attractive design employing a non-drawstring means which induces rapid recovery of the garment to all sizes from small through large.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the swim trunk;

Figure 2 is a side view thereof;

Figure 3 is a front view of the support panty per se;

Figure 4 is a front view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 5 is a side view thereof;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Figure 5; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 5.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

Referring first to construction of Figures l-3, it Will be seen that the swim trunk comprises front and rear portions of rigid woven or knitted cloth, the front portion being composed of two panels 10 and 12 sewn together to form a central vertical seam 14. The rear portion is also composed of two panels 16 and 18 which are sewn along a central verticalseam 20, The two Patented May 16,1961

front and two rear panels are joined laterally by a seam 22 across the crotch.

Joining the free vertical edges of the front panels 10 and 12 and the rear panels '16 and 18 at the sides of the garment by appropriate stitching 24 are full-ribbed knitted side panels 26 and 28 of predetermined horizontal flexibility and recovery as indicated by the arrow 30 as will appear hereinafter. The waist portion 32, opposite the crotch, is formed by folding over the upper edges of the front and rear assembled panels and the upper edges of the flexible side panels and seaming within the hem so formed by appropriate horizontal stitching 34 a woven band 36 of predetermined horizontal flexibility and recovery as indicated by the arrow 38. The lower edges of the front and rear panels are tapered upwardly from the crotch to the sides to form leg openings 38 and 40.

The elastic characteristics of the side panels 26 and 28 and the flexible band 36 are that they are extensible horizontally at least and have full recovery. The side panels are knitted, preferably of acetate, rubber and nylon yarn with or without a metal yarn, but may 'be made of other textile fibers. If it is desired for design purposes, that the side panels 26 and 28 include a vertical decorative strip, contrary to standard practice, the wales will run horizontally and the courses vertically. The elastic waist band 36 is preferably woven of covered rubber and cotton yarn to have the stretch and recovery characteristics mentioned.

As mentioned earlier, each trunk is designed to accommodate as a semi-form fit all sizes from small through large without changing the general appearance thereof. Thus, the garment designed for all the mens sizes from small through medium and through large would be constructed so that the dimensions of the leg openings, the girth of the waistband and the width of the side panels are such that the garment is a semi-form fit for the small size when the waistband and side panels are fully relaxed. Because the waistband and side panels are stretchable at least 180% horizontally and have full recovery, the trunk can readily slip over the hips and readily accommodate all sizes of men from small through large as an attractive semi-form fit. The trunks can also be designed as a single unit to accommodate 4, 6, 8 and 10 in the junior size range and as a single unit to accommodate 12, 14, 16 and 18 in the boys size range.

To avoid the use of a separate athletic support, a support panty 42 is provided which is sewn into the waist portion at its upper end. The construction of the panty is such that it is adjustable along with the trunks and gives proper support for all sizes from small through large. The panty is knitted, preferably of nylon, so that the front and rear portions 44 are stretchable only in a horizontal or widthwise direction as shown by the arrow 46, whereas the crotch portion 48 joining said front and rear portions is preferably reinforced or multiply and is stretchable only in a front to rear direction at 180 to the stretch direction of the front and rear portions as shown by the arrow 50. The leg openings 52 are provided with an elastic edging 54.

In Figures 4-8 is shown a modification of the invention in the form of a reversible garment without a support pant-y. The forward and rear panels 56, 58, 60 and 62 are sewn together centrally and at the crotch and are provided with leg openings 64 and 66 as described hereinbefore except that each panel is two-ply and includes a front rigid woven or knitted cloth 68 and a back rigid woven or knitted cloth 7 0. At the leg openings, the lower edges of the front and back cloth panels are hemmed and sewn as at 72 and at the waist portion 74 an elastic band 76 extends between said front and back panels and is free edges of said front and back panels being hemmed and sewn as at 80 for a proper finish.

The free side edges of the two-ply forward panels 56 and 58 are secured to the free side edges of the two-ply rear panels 60 and 62 respectively by elastic side panels 82, appropriate stitching 83 being used for the purpose. The elastic side panels are tubular and therefore include front and rear plies 84 and 86 that between them receive portions of the elastic band 76 to which they are secured by the previously-described rows of horizontal stitching 78.

Elastic tubular loops 88 are provided which span the side panels 82 at the waist portion of the garment and are terminally secured by the previously-described stitching 83 to the vertical edges of the side panels.

The reversible garment performs the same broad functions as the garment with the panty support hereinbefore described and hence, the woven waistband 76 and the knitted side panels 82 are elastic in a horizontal direction at least 180% with full recovery, the dimensions of the same plus that of the leg openings being such as to provide a semi-form fit for the small size when the waistband and side panels are relaxed. The garment readily accommodates to a semi-form fit from small through large sizes.

It will be noted that the reversible trunk does not have a drawstring. The loops 88, however, are horizontally elastic and therefore serve as a means to efiect rapid recovery of the stretched Waistband.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have here been shown and described, skilled artisans may make minor variations without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the designs on the cloth may be varied and the waist may include stretchable belts and buckle closures.

We claim:

1. A one size semi-form fitting swim trunk adapted to accommodate a range of mens, boys and junior sizes from small through large comprising a pair of cloth panels sewn together to form a rear portion of the trunk, a further pair of cloth panels sewn together to form a front portion of the trunk, a waist portion at the upper ends of said front and rear portions including a woven horizontally flexible band having at least substantially 180% stretch and full recovery, leg openings at the lower ends of said front and rear portions and knitted side panels from said leg openings to said waist portion interconnecting said front and rear portions, said knitted side panels being horizontally flexible with at least substantially stretch and full recovery, the dimensions of said leg openings, waist band and side panels being such as to provide a semi-form fit for the small size when said waist band and side panels are fully relaxed and a support panty sewn to said waist portion and disposed Within said trunk, said panty being made of knitted front and rear panels connected by a crotch portion and including leg openings, the front and rear panels being stretchable only horizontally while the crotch portion is stretchable only in a direction from front to rear.

2. A reversible one size semi-form fitting swim trunk adapted to accommodate a range of sizes from small through large comprising inner and outer panels of cloth sewn together to form front and rear trunk portions, a waist portion at the upper ends of said front and rear trunk portions, leg openings and two-ply side panels interconnecting said front and rear portions from said leg openings to said waist portion, an elastic loop secured to said Waist portion and spanning each side panel, only said loops, side panels and waist portion being horizontally flexible with at least 180% stretch and full recovery, the dimensions of said leg openings, waist portion and side panels being such as to provide a semi-form fit for the small size when said waist portion and side panels are fully relaxed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,904,228 Hennessy Apr. 18, 1933 1,929,363 Long Oct. 3, 1933 2,058,509 Rose Oct. 27, 1936 2,102,323 Kneibler Dec. 14, 1937 2,288,553 Slezak June 30, 1942 2,560,192 Seidner July 10, 1951 2,651,048 Milberg Sept. 8, 1953 2,722,012 Blatt Nov. 1, 1955 2,854,669 Cohen Oct. 7, 1958 2,873,738 Stark Feb. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 943,485 France Oct. 4, 1948 

